TUTORIS EXCUSATIO CUM PRAEIUDICIIS
     
A petition for relief from a guardianship
  
( May 27, AD 173 )
 

 
( V. Arangio-Ruiz, Fontes iuris Romani antejustiniani, III, Firenze, 1943, pp. 79-84, n. 30 ).
  

 
Latin translation
  

 
Exemplar petitionis.
      Iulio Lucullo egregio procuratori C. Apollinarius Niger Antinoites, (demo) Osorantinoëus qui et Hermaeus.
      Marcus Antistius Gemellus ueteranus testamento quod moriens fecit heredem suam esse uoluit filiam Valeriam Tertiam, quae et Thaisarion, bonorum a se relictorum in pago Arsinoitico, eiusque orbitatis tutores quidem reliquit me Apollinarium Nigrum et Valerium Comonem, adiecit autem tutoribus puellae auiam Valeriam Sempronillam. Cum autem, domine, ab Herennio Philota olim procuratore itemque ab Antonino Macrone constitutum sit, ne Antinoites ciuis ullius impuberis tutor fiat nisi eius qui in Antinoupolitano territorio degat, nec ipse tutelam quae mihi mandata est subire possim, subiciens tibi, domine mi, exempla rerum in pari causa iudicatarum, rogo ut secundum praecepta hac tutela excuser et ut decisionem tuam adimpleri iubeas ipseque beneficio affici possim. Vale.
      Ecce autem exemplum :
      Anno XI Imp. Caesaris Titi Aelii Hadriani Antonini Augusti Pii, mense Mesore VI. Cum Eudaemon Hermaei filius secundum libellos euocatus esset, et Dionysius in iudicio adesset, postquam libelli ab eo oblati recitati sunt, Philotas dixit : ‘ Unde oriundus erat qui Eudaemonem tutorem reliquit ? ’.
      Apollonius iunior dixit : ‘ Ciuis Romanus erat, sed in uico Ibione Panycteri domicilium habuit ’.
      Philotas dixit : ‘ Recte tutela se excusaret, (etiam) si Antinoites esset qui eum tutorem reliquit : nulli enim alii cogi potest tutorem esse, quam ei cuius bona in territorio sint ’.
      Apollonius dixit : ‘ Probabimus tutelae se eos immiscuisse, et omnia quasi tutores fecisse ’.
      Philotas dixit : ‘ Non teneri quidem Eudaemonem ad tutelam gerendam nisi Antinoitis impuberis, iam iudicatum est : sin autem huic tutelae se immiscuit, iudicem et arbitros rationibus excutiendis dabo ’.
      Apollonius iunior dixit : ‘ Eudaemon Hermaei filius se non immiscuit : se immiscuit autem eius . . . . . . . . . . ’
      Philotas dixit : ‘ Estne Antinoites ? estne Antinoites ? ’.
      Respondit : ‘ Sum, et a te beneficium peto ’.
      Philotas dixit : ‘ Iudicem et arbitrum eundem uirum dabo, qui inquirat num tutelae se immiscuerit et rationes excutiat et quae inuenerit cum, (pupillae) familiaribus necnon cum tutore qui constitutus erit communicet : Hermupolitanus autem exegetes prouidebit ut tutor detur ’.
      Thracidas dixit : ‘ Ne conticuisse uideamur, pupillae talenta . . . . et semissem debere confitemur ’.
      Philotas dixit : ‘ Quae dixisti in commentariis scripta sunt ’.
      Dioscorus dixit : ‘ Petimus ut eligendus tutor eisdem condicionibus detur quibus Eudaemon testamento relictus est ’.
      Philotas dixit : ‘ Eisdem condicionibus dari iubeo ’.
      Dioscorus dixit : ‘ Si tibi uidetur, da nobis arbitrum ’.
      Philotas dixit : ‘ Hermiam qui iam aedilis et cosmeta fuit (arbitrum do) ’.
      Aliae rei exemplum :
      ‘ Antonius Macro Aphrodisio exegetae magistratu fungenti Antinoupoli. Antinoitis impuberibus de quibus scripsisti rerum istic sitarum tutores idoneos et soluentes dato, rerum in diversis pagis sitarum magistros iube (ibi quoque tutores) soluentes et idoneos eligere ’.
Exemplum subscriptionis.
      Puellae familiaribus denuntiato, ut petitio tua quae mihi oblata est examinetur. Exitus sententiae hic erit, quod, si forte a tutela (iniuste te excusaueris), non ignoras pro tempore quoque transacto tuo periculo te cessauisse.
      Anno XIII, mense Payni II. Redde.
 

 
Greek text  (
Duke Data Bank of Documentary Papyri ).
  

 
[ἀντίγρα]φον ἀναφορίου. | Ἰουλίῳ Λουκούλλωι τῷ κρατίστῳ ἐπιστρατήγῳ | [π]αρὰ Γαίου Ἀπολιναρίου Νίγερος Ἀντινοέως Ὀσοραντινοείου τ[ο]ῦ καὶ Ἑρμα[ιέ]ως. Μάρκο̣ς̣ Ἀνθέστιος | Γέμελλος οὐετρανὸς τελευτῶν, δι ἧς ἔθετο διαθήκης, ἠθέλησεν κληρονό[μο]ν ἑαυτοῦ γενέσθαι τὴν θυ-|γατέρα Οὐαλερίαν Τερτίαν τὴν καὶ Θαισάριον ἀφήλικα τῶν ἀπολειφθέντων ὑπὸ αὐτοῦ ἐν νομῷ Ἀρσι-|νοείτῃ, ἧς τῆς ὀρφανίας κατέλειψεν ἐπιτρόπους μὲν ἐμὲ τὸν Ἀπολινάριον Νίγερα καὶ Οὐαλέριον | Κόμωνα, ἐπακολουθήτριαν δὲ τὴν τῆς παιδὸς μάμμην Οὐαλερίαν Σεμπρονίλλαν. κεκελευσμένου | οὖν, κύριε, υ῾πό τε Ἑρεννίου Φιλώτα τοῦ ἐπιστρατηγήσαντος καὶ Ἀντω[ν]ίνου Μάκρωνος  ὁμοίως  |  περὶ  τοῦ  Ἀντινοέα  μηδενὸς  ἄλλου  ἐπιτροπεύειν ἢ μόνου τοῦ ἐν τῇ νομαρχίᾳ Ἀ[ν]τινοέως, οὐ δυνάμε-|νος οὖν οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὑπακούειν ταύτῃ τῇ ἐνχειρισθείσῃ μοι ἐπιτροπῇ ἀξιῶ ὑποτάξας σοι τῷ κυρίῳ | μου ἀντίγραφ[ον] τῶν ἐφ ὁμοίων ἀπαλλαγῆναι τούτου κατὰ τὰ κελευσθέντα καὶ τὸ δόξαν σοι κελεῦσαι | γενέσθαι, ἵνα ὦ [β]εβοηθημένος. διευτύχει. ἔστι δὲ ἀντίγραφον. (ἔτους) ια Αὐτοκράτορος Καίσαρος | Τίτου Αἰλίου [Ἁδρι]ανοῦ Ἀντωνίνου Σεβαστοῦ Εὐσεβοῦς, Μεσορὴ Ϛ. κληθέντος ἐκ βιβλιδίου Εὐδαίμονος | Ἑρμαίου, προσελθόντος Διονυσίου, καὶ ἀναγνωσθέντος τοῦ ἐπιδοθέντο[ς] ὑπὸ αὐτοῦ βιβλιδίου, Φιλώ-|τας εἶπεν· πόθεν ἦν [ὁ] καταλιπὼν Εὐδαίμονα ἐπ[ί]τροπον; Ἀπολλώνιος Νεώτερος εἶπεν· Ῥωμαῖος | [ὢν κατῴκησ]εν ἐν [Ἰ]βιῶνι Πανυκτέρει.   Φιλώτας   εἰπεν·   τοῦτο   δικαίως   ἀ[π]έλεγεν, εἰ Ἀντινοεὺς ἦν | [ὁ καταστήσα]ς αὐτὸν ἐ[πίτ]ρ[ο]πον·   ἄλλῳ   γὰρ   οὐδενὶ   ἀγώγιμός   ἐστιν   ἐπιτροπεύει<ν>   αὐτοῦ   τῶν κτημάτων | [οὐχ ὑπαρχόν]των ἐν τῇ νομαρχίᾳ. Ἀπολλώνιος εἶπεν· ἀποδείξομεν αὐτοὺς ἀντιλαβομένους | [τῆς ἐπιτροπῆς] καὶ πάντα πεποιηκότας ὡς ἐπιτρόπους. Φιλώτας εἶπεν· ὅτι μ̣[ὲ]ν̣ οὐκ ὀφε<ί>λει ὁ Εὐδαί-|[μων ἐπιτροπ]εύειν, εἰ μὴ μόνου Ἀντινοέως κέκριται. εἰ δὲ ἀντελάβετο αὐτῆ[ς] τῆς ἐπιτροπῆς, | [τὸν κριτὴν κ]αὶ λογοθέτας δώσω. Ἀπολλώνιος ὁ Νεώτερος εἶπεν· Εὐδαί[μω]ν Ἑρμ[αίο]υ οὐκ ἀντελάβετο | [........ α]ὐτοῦ ἀντελάβετο. Φιλώτας εἶπεν· Ἀντινοεὺς ἐστίν; Ἀντινοεὺς ἐστίν, ἀπεκρίνατο, ναὶ | [καὶ αἰτεῖ   εὐ]εργεσίαν   τὴν   ἀπὸ   σοῦ.   Φιλώτας   εἶπεν·   δώσω   κριτὴν   καὶ λογοθέτην τὸν αὐτόν, ὃς ἐξετά-|[σει, εἰ ἀντ]ελάβετο τῆς ἐπιτροπῆς καὶ τοὺς λόγους ἐξετάσει καὶ ἐπαναγκάσει τὸ φανὲν παρὰ τοῖς ἐπι-|[τηδείοις καὶ] τῶι κ[ατ]ασταθησομένωι ἐπιτρόπῳ· ὁ δὲ τῆς Ἑρμουπόλεως ἐξηγητὴς προνοήσει | [ἐπίτροπ]ον κατασταθῆναι. Θρακίδας εἶπεν· ἵνα μὴ δοκῶμεν σεσιωπηκέναι, ἀσφαλιζόμεθα | [........]α̣ ἥμισυ τάλαντα ὀφείλειν τῇ ὀρφανῇ. Φιλώτας εἶπεν· ἃ εἶπας, γέγραπται. Διόσκορος | [εἶπεν· ἀξιο]ῦμεν τὸν κατασταθησό[μενο]ν ἐπίτροπον ἐπὶ τοῖς α[ὐ]τοῖς δικαίοις κατασταθῆναι, | [ἐφ οἷς Εὐ]δαίμων κατὰ τὰς διαθήκα[ς] κατεστάθη. Φιλώτας εἶπεν· ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς κατασταθῆναι. | [Διόσκορος ε]ἶπεν· ε[ἴ σο]ι δοκεῖ, δὸς ἡμῖν τὸν λογοθέτην. Φιλώτας εἶπεν Ἑρμίαν τὸν ἀγορανομήσαντα | [καὶ κοσμη]τε(ύσαντα). καὶ ἄλλου. Ἀντώνιος Μάκρων Ἀφροδισίῳ ἐνάρχωι ἐξηγητῇ Ἀντινουπόλεως | [χαίρ(ειν)· τῶν δὲ] ὀ[ρ]φανῶν Ἀντινοέων, περὶ ὧν γράφεις, τῶν μὲν ἐνθάδε πραγμάτων αὐτοῖς ἐπιτρόπους | [ἀξιοχρέους κ]αὶ ἐπιτηδείους κατάστησον, τῶν δὲ ἐν ἄλλοις νομοῖς ἐπίστειλον τοῖς στρατηγοῖς, ἵνα | [ - ca. 10 - ]ω καὶ αὐταὶ ἐπι[τη]δείους καὶ ἀξιοχρέους ἕλωνται.   (ἔτους)   κβ   Αὐτοκράτορος   Καίσαρος   Τραιανοῦ | [Ἁδριανοῦ   Σεβασ]τοῦ,   Φαμενὼ[θ] θ. ἀντίγρ(αφον) ὑπογραφῆ[ς]. παραγγείλῃ τοῖς οἰκείοις τῆς | [ὀρφανῆς, ἣ ἐν]έτυχε μοι τὴν ἀξίωσιν σοῦ δοκιμα[στ]ήν. ἡ ἔκβασις τῆς διαλήμψεως, ἐάν | [ποτε ἀπαιτήσ]ῃ τὴν ἐπιτροπήν, οὐκ ἀγνοεῖς, ὅτι δὴ καὶ εἰς τὸ παρεληλυθὸς τῷ σῷ κιν-|[δύνῳ ἀνε]χώρησας. (ἔτους) ιγ, Παῦνι β. ἀπόδος.

 
English translation ( Advanced Papyrological Information System ).
  

 
Copy of a petition ; To ... Iulius Lucullus, the honorable epistrategos, from Gaius Apolinarius Niger, Antinoite, of the Osirantinoan tribe and of the Hermaian deme. Marcus Anthestius Gemellus, a veteran, expressed in the will which he drew up his dying wish that his daughter Valeria Tertia, also called Thaisarion, a minor, be heir of his property left in the Arsinoite nome. As guardians of her orphan state he left me, Apolinarius Niger, and Valerius Komon, and as associate the child's grandmother Valeria Sempronilla. Now as it has been enjoined, my lord, by Herennius Philotas the former epistrategos and by Antonius Makron likewise that an Antinoite shall not act as guardian for any one else than an Antinoite who is in the nomarchy, therefore, being myself unable to undertake this guardianship which has been entrusted to me, I have submitted, my lord, a copy of the decisions in like cases, and ask to be relieved of this according to the judgements, and beg you to order your decision to be carried out, so that I may receive relief. Farewell. ; The copy is : ; The eleventh year of the Emperor Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, Mesore 6. When Eudaimon, son of Hermaios, had been summoned in accordance with a petition, and Dionysios had come forward and the petition presented by him had been read before the court, Philotas said : "Whence was he who left Eudaimon as guardian ?" Apollonios the Younger said : "He was a Roman [who dwelt] in Ibion Panykteris." Philotas said : "Your contention would be just even if [the person who appointed] him guardian were an Antinoite, for he is not obliged to act as guardian for anyone other [than an Antinoite] in the nomarchy." Apollonios said : "We shall show that they undertook [the guardianship] and have done everything like guardians." Philotas said : "It has been decided that Eudaimon is not obliged to act as guardian except only for an Antinoite. But if he undertook this guardianship, I shall appoint [a judge and] auditors." Apollonios the Younger said : "Eudaimon son of Hermaios did not accept it, his ... accepted it." Philotas said : "Is he an Antinoite ? Is he an Antinoite ?" He replied : "Yes, [and I ask] your clemency." Philotas said : "I shall appoint the same person as judge and auditor [who] shall investigate who accepted the guardianship and shall examine the accounts and shall compel that which is shown to be in the hands of the (present) guardians [to be given] to him who will be appointed [guardian]. And the exegete of Hermou polis shall see to it that the guardian is appointed." Thracidas said : "Lest we should seem to have remained silent we guarantee that we owe ... and a half talents to the orphan girl." Philotas said : "What you have said has been written." Dioskoros [said] : "We ask that he who is to be appointed guardian be appointed upon the same conditions [as] Eudaimon was appointed according to the will." Philotas said : "He is to be appointed on the same terms." [Dioskoros] said: "If you please, give us the auditor." Philotas said : "Hermias the former market commissioner [and] former cosmete." ; (Copy) of another : ; Antonius Makron to Aphrodisios officiating exegete of Antinoou polis, [greeting] : For whatever property of the Antinoite orphans, about whom you write, is in that nome appoint as guardians [reputable] and suitable persons, but for what is in other nomes notify the strategoi so that [for each of them] they too may choose suitable and reputable persons. Twenty-second year of the Emperor Caesar Trajan [Hadrian Augustus], Phamenoth 9. ; Copy of subscription : ; Announce to the relatives of the [orphan, who also] petitioned me, that your request is approved. The upshot of the decision : If you accept the guardianship [in the future], you are not unaware that you indeed neglected [it] in the past at your own risk. Year 13, Pauni 12. Deliver it.
 

 
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►  Source : Arsinoite papyrus ( SB V, 7558 = Sel. Pap. II, 260 ).